Attachment for well-drilling tools



Patented Aug, 12, 192 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER M. WENTLING, 0F FOXBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTH TO.

RAYBURN REICHART, 0F PARKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA; ONE-EIGHTH TO DONALDG. JORDAN, 031 ST. PETERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA; ONE-EIGHTH TO JAMESWENTLING AND ONE-EIGHTH TO ALBERT L. NEVEL, BOTH OF FOXBURG, PENNSYL-VANIA. AND ONE-FOXTRTIEI T0 0. E, HARRINGTON, OF KITTANNING, PENNSYL-VANIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR WELL-DRILLING TOOLS.

Application filed March 14, 1923.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that Lnsrnn M. VVENTLING, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Foxburg, in the county of Clarion and State ofPennsylvania, has invented new and useful Improvements in Attachmentsfor ell-Drilling Tools, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

The object of the invention isto provide a device, commonly known as acracker, for interposition between the tool employed in drilling awell'and the wire cable of the spudding mechanism, so that the shock dueto the" impact of the tool in drilling will. be absorbed in the deviceand not transmitted to the cable with the consequent liability ofdisengaging the bull wheels, derrick pulleys, beams, etc., connectedwith the drilling mechanism. It is common practice to interpose a pieceof manila rope between the wire cable and the tool and the deviceherein-disclosed is intended as a simple, cheap and highlyefiicientsubstitute for the rope.

With this general purpose in view the invention consists in aconstruction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a centralvertical sectional view of a tool embodying the invention. Figure 2 isasimilar view, on an enlarged scale, of the lower end of the tool.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the plane indicatedbythe line l-4; of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the elements of thesplit bushing.

The shock absorbing elements of the de vice comprise a plurality ofspaced washers 1 and interposed springs 2 and 3 of which the latter issmaller than the former and preferably wound reversely of the same, sothat the springs 3are enlosed by the springs 2. Obviously, these springsare of the compression variety and if necessary the springs 2 and 3 maybe replaced each pair by a single spring if the latter is of sufiicientstrength of the rod. upper end and interiorly threaded for the SerialNo. 625,052.

a drill rod 4: the upper end of which carries an exteriorly threadedconical plug 5 for engagement in a corresponding socket carrled at theextremity of the wire cable lead ing to the spudding mechanism, the rodbeing enlarged, as indicated at 6, to provide a fixed collar. The rod 4and its associated spring are housed in the tubular member 7 which atthe upper end is interiorly threaded for the reception of the lower endof a sleeve member 8 which is reduced as indicated at 9 and exteriorilythreaded for engagement with the interior threads of the casing, thesleeve being shouldered as indicated at 10 for abutting engagement withthe upper end of the casing and constituting a head bearing for thejournal portion 11 The sleeve 8 is socketed at the reception of areduced exteriorly threaded end 12 of a thimble 13 and in the bottom ofl held securely in place, by the extremity 12 of the thimble. Thisarrangement is provided to exclude sand and moisture from the journalportion of the rod. The thimble at the upper end is recessed andreceives a packing ring 15 for a similar purpose to the packing 1 1, thecollar 6 of the rod abutting the upper end of the thimble. The tubularcasing 7 at the lower end is socketed and interiorly threaded asindicated at 16 for the reception of the upper end of the shank of thedrilling tool, the socket 16 being of complemental construction to thethreaded portion 5 of the rod, so that a plurality of the devices may beused if conditions warrant it or good practice so dictates.

The combined length of the springs 2 and '3 when expanded and theirinterposed ing, so that longitudinal movement of the rod 4' in thecasing is provided until impact or abutment of the uppermost washer 1with the lower end of the reduced portion 9 of the sleeve is effected,so that after the impact of the tool in the drilling operation it andthe tubular member 7 may rise a limited distance without impartingbending or buckling movement to the wire cable. On the raising of thetool by the spudding mechanism, the shock on the same is absorbed by thesprings 2 and 3 upon impact of the uppermost washer with the reducedportion 9, the lifting of the tool on the raising movement of thespudding mechanism not taking place until the engagement of the upperwasher 1 with the reduced end of the sleeve 8.

Adjacent its lower end, the rod 4 is formed with a reduced portion 17for the reception of a split bushing 18 constituting two complementalsections, the split bushing is e teriorly tapered as indicated clearlyin Figure 2 and is surrounded by an interiorly tapered sleeve 19 bywhich the bushing is brought into firm contact with the reduced portion17. A washer 20 is carried by the lower extremity of the rod 4 and isperipherally reduced as indicated at 21 to provide aboss effectingabutting engagement with the lower end of the spllt bushing, thusspacing the remaining portlon which is in the nature of a'flange fromthe lower end of the sleeve 19 which is formed with diation of thewasher and'receive the nuts 22 on metrically disposed axially arrangedexteriorly threaded studs 22 which pass through corresponding eyesformed in the flange porthe opposite side of the washer from the boss21. A washer 23 abuts the nuts 22 and is held in place by "a castle nut24 which is engaged by a cotter pin 25 extending through a diametricalhole or perforation 26 formed in the lower threaded extremity 27 of therod 4. The springs and their attendant'washers are thus retained on therod 4 by the sleeve 19 and its attendant devices and the shocktransmitted to the springs 011 the raising operation of the drillingtool is transmitted to the sleeve and through it to the split bushingthus bringing the latter into firm contact with the reduced portion 17of the rod. The strains of these operations are thus transmitted to theshoulder formed by the reduced portion17 with the lower end of the rodand are not imparted to any screw thread connection which would likelybreak due to crystallization of the parts. Also, the construction at thelower endof the rod by means of which the springs and washers areretained thereon will permit the ready removal of the parts for thereplacement of any springs or the addition-of other or further shockabsorbing elements. The tubular casing 7, just at the .topof the lowersocketed end 16 is provided i with downwardly inclined openings orapertures 28 through which water or other liquid accumulations in thecasing may be ejected v to prevent such accumulations rising in thecasing with'the possible consequent damage 1 to;the operative parts ofthe device.

mounted in said casing, a split bushing mounted on the rod adjacent thelower end, a sleeve in surrounding relation to said luishing, the latterbeing exteriorly tapered and the former intcriorly tapered, means forsecuring the sleeve to the lower extremity of the rod, and cushioningelements bearing upon the sleeve and adapted to cushion the weight ofthe casing.

2. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a tubular casing, a rodslidably engaged in said casing, a plurality of compression springssurrounding the rod, washers slidably mounted on the rod and interposedbetween. the compression springs, a split bushing mounted on the rodadjacent the lower end, and means for securing said bushing in place andconstituting a thrust for said compression springs.

A device for the purpose indicated comprising a tubular casing, a rodslidably engaged in said casing, a plurality of com pression springssurrounding the rod, washers slidably mounted on the rod and interposedbetween the compression springs, a split bushing mounted on the rodadjacent the lower end, said split bushing being exteriorly tapered, asleeve in surrounding relation to said bushing and interiorly taperedand provided with axially arranged studs at its lower end, a thrustwasher engaging said bushing and provided with eyes for the reception ofsaid studs, nuts engaged with the studs and abutting the washer, andmeans carried by the rod and engaging the nuts to prevent recession ofthe latter.

4. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a tubular casing, a rodslidably engaged in said casing, a plurality of compression springssurrounding the rod, washers slidably mounted on the rod and interposedbetween the compression springs, a split bushing mounted on the rodadjacent the lower end, said split bushing being exteriorly tapered, asleeve in surrounding relation to said bushing and interiorly taperedand provided with axially arranged studs at its lower end, a thrustwasher engaging said bushing and provided with eyes for the reception ofsaid studs, nuts engaged with the LESTER M. WENTLING.

